More Green Upgrades Coming to the Raleigh Convention Center

By Liviu Oltean, Associate Editor
The Raleigh Convention Center is set to receive more green upgrades as the installation of a 500-kilowatt solar energy system is currently being prepared. Upon completion, 60 percent of the center’s roof will be covered with [...]

The Raleigh Convention Center is set to receive more green upgrades as the installation of a 500-kilowatt solar energy system is currently being prepared. Upon completion, 60 percent of the center’s roof will be covered with solar panels, which will produce about 725,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. According to CityBizList, the installation of this system will decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 500 tons per year.

The Raleigh Convention Center is one of only seven other convention centers throughout the country that have managed to achieve any type of LEED certification, and its solar energy system will be the 11th to be installed in Raleigh. The center has been LEED Silver-certified and commended for its efficient use of resources, which includes a 30-percent reduction in water use, the use of centrifugal chillers that ventilate with minimal energy consumption, water-efficient landscaping through the use of a drip irrigation system and the implementation of a rainwater harvesting system.

The solar system will be financed, engineered and built by FLS Energy and PowerWorks, which will also rent the rooftop space from the city for operating purposes.

In related news, the City of Raleigh has begun issuing requests for proposal for the development of a hotel on a tract in the vicinity of the Raleigh Convention Center. The city-owned site encompasses about 0.5 acres and is bordered by Salisbury, Lenoir and South streets. As reported by CityBizList, the land is suitable for mixed-use developments. The initiative of developing the hotel near the convention center is a direct result of the city’s continuous effort to attract larger conferences and events at the center.